The data comes from a report published yesterday in collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of the Environment. According to the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), children in Cambodia are especially exposed to extreme heat and flooding in rural areas. For local authorities, the data will provide lines of intervention to the government.
Phnom Penh () – Nearly two million Cambodian children live in high climate risk areas and are therefore exposed to floods, droughts, extreme heat and diseases transmitted by mosquitoes or other vectors. The survey is contained in the first Children’s Climate Risk Index (Children’s climate risk index, CCRI) for Cambodia published yesterday by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with UNICEF Cambodia.
The study shows that a third of children (in a total child population of around 6 million) are exposed to drought, while almost half are affected by extreme heat and flooding and live in areas where levels of air pollution are higher than those indicated in the World Health Organization guidelines.
The most vulnerable areas are in rural areas of the northeastern region, around Tonle Sap Lake and in the central plain. Children here face increased risks due to poor nutrition, poor hygiene and difficulties accessing education and health services.
The CCRI is a key tool in understanding the vulnerabilities of children in Cambodia and providing guidance to the government on how to address the problem, officials highlighted at the Phnom Penh event yesterday. “The Children’s Climate Risk Index for Cambodia is essential in providing the Government and relevant ministries and institutions with indications to allow them to prioritize measures focused on the well-being and protection of the most vulnerable children,” said Cambodia’s Minister of Environment, Eang Sophalleth.
The launch ceremony coincided with Cambodia’s signing of the UNICEF Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action, which was launched at COP 29 in Azerbaijan. “The climate crisis is a child rights crisis,” said Will Parks, UNICEF representative in Cambodia. “The CCRI Index is not just a report, but a tool for collective action that enables governments, communities and young people to address the challenges of climate change.”
Photo UNICEF Cambogia/2025/Manuth BUTH
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